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Colleges
UCF: Gleam in their eyes
A new 45,000-seat on-campus stadium is the most prominent among several big changes in Orlando.
By Izzy Gould
Published August 31, 2007
George O'Leary recently told some recruits about the good old days at UCF.
The coach told the kids he could remember way back to when the athletic department had one building on campus, weights were a luxury and a lockerroom was nice thing to have.
That was all of three years ago.
The hustle and bustle since then of seemingly nonstop on-campus construction has produce some really nice buildings with everything a college athlete could want or need. Then there's the centerpiece of it all, a new on-campus stadium capable of stuffing 45,000 rabid fans inside.
The media guide cover proudly displays, "THE KNIGHTS ARE COMING HOME." It easily could have said, "A NEW BEGINNING."
The Knights - no longer Golden Knights - will march into Bright House Networks Stadium on Sept.15 hoping to take down perennial goliath Texas in a nationally televised game.
They want you to notice the new look: Fresh white helmets they used to be gold, new helmet logos (the letters UCF) and new logos for their jerseys. This is UCF's chance to show the college football world it has arrived. For those caught up in the euphoria, O'Leary used a pointed comment to show all the bells and whistle are nothing more than window dressing if UCF can't do one thing.
"It still comes down to winning," he said.
O'Leary believes the stadium has given UCF alumni a reason to come back to campus. And he believes the athletic department has given him what he needs to woo recruits.
A group of 17 returning starters are expected to keep the good vibes going deep into the year. Their job is to revive a team that finished a disappointing 4-8 in 2006 with three losses by a total of 13 points.
The offense could hinge on talented junior running back Kevin Smith, whose 2,112 yards in two seasons were more than any sophomore in school history. The 6-foot-1, 211-pounder injured his shoulder in a 26-24 win at Memphis last season and missed the final two games, finishing with 934 yards and seven touchdowns.
The great unknown is in the passing game after two key departures, quarterback Steven Moffett and top receiver Mike Walker.
O'Leary began the preseason naming senior Kyle Israel the starting quarterback, but reserved the right to change his mind on a week-by-week basis. Junior Rocky Ross returns as the top receiver with 36 catches for 531 yards last season.
Defensively, the Knights expect a leap after a disappointing 2006.
"I thought (defense) was really the nemesis last year," O'Leary said.
Nine of those starters are back including end Leger Douzable, an Alonso alumnus, who led UCF with seven sacks, half of which came in a 23-10 loss to East Carolina. The linebackers are led on the outside by juniors Jordan Richards and Cory Hogue, who have combined for 150 career tackles.
The secondary features safety Sha'reff Rashad, who led UCF with four interceptions.
"This is the first year I can really say I think we have a solid football team," O'Leary said. "...We're excited about what's taking place. I know our players are and our fan base is."
Izzy Gould can be reached at izzygould@gmail.com or (727) 580-5315.
[Last modified August 29, 2007, 09:47:01]
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